Sony vaio sz3xp under Ubuntu 6.10/7.04

Characteristics of laptop

Device Properties Works? Solution
Procesor Core 2 duo T7200 Yes -
Graphics nVidia GeForce Go 7400 Yes Read this
Intel 945GM Yes
Audio and mic. SigmaTel Audio Yes -
Screen 13.3in, 1280x800 Yes -
Modem HDAudio SoftV92 ??? -
Network Card Marvell Yukon 88E8036 Yes -
Wireless Card Intel Pro Wireless 3945ABG Yes -
Webcam 0.37 Mpx integrated Yes! Read this
Card reader SD/MS/Pro/MMC/xD Yes -
Memory Stick Pro Duo No
Fingerprint reader - No -
Bluetooth - Yes Read this
Keyboard Fn, special, shutdown keys Yes -
ACPI Hibernate, suspend Yes! -

Others

Size: 254mm x 357mm x 396mm
Weight: 1.7Kg
Duration of battery: 4-3 hours, depends of mode selected (stamina or speed)
Review of Vaio SZ3XP

lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS/940GML and 945GT Express PCI Express Root Port (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 02)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 02)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 02)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 02)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 02)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e2)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) IDE Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7 Family) Serial ATA Storage Controller IDE (rev 02)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 02)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Unknown device 01d8 (rev a1)
06:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection (rev 02)
07:00.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8036 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 15)
09:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments Unknown device 8039
09:04.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments Unknown device 803a
09:04.2 Mass storage controller: Texas Instruments Unknown device 803b

Problems and solutions

Video cards

Despite ubuntu can detect the two video cards alone, it does not edit xorg.conf file for two video cards at same time. We can create a script in a run level 2 for choose the best xorg.conf file called xorg.conf.stamina or xorg.conf.speed and saved in /etc/X11/ (The configuration of keyboard is in spanish). The script for the election in startup has been stored in /etc/init.d/ with a soft link in /etc/rc.2/ with name S12xorg_conf ("ln -s /etc/init.d/xorg_conf /etc/rc.2/S12xorg_conf").

I have installed beta drivers of nvidia as I read in ubuntuguide.

Bluetooth

The laptop recognaizes the bluetooth device. After instalation of spicctrl ("apt-get install spicctrl"), we can use this script for swich on/off this device when we are working with the battery.

Camera

Finaly, there is a simple solution for install the Ricoh r5u870 camera (or also called Sony VGP-VCC2). Download the .deb package for your kernel from here, install it, and reboot your system. Nothing more ;).

Finger reader

No solution yet.

Conclusions and comments

The compatibility of this laptop is higher compared with others. Also, ubuntu has a great configuration system. There are two devices which don't work: camera and finger reader. For the first, there are posibilities to stay supported in future, for the second, I think it's more complicate althougth I have red that works in others laptops.

There are a lot of tricks in the web for cooking your ubuntu as you like. Here I recommend you two: ubuntuguide and tvease wiki, and obviously the forums at ubuntu.

A list of programs that, maybe, make your life better:

If you want ask something, or if you have any idea about obtain more support for this two device, email me.